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To Arms, IndyCar Nation ... and Charge Into Battle for Vision Racing

What can you do to help Vision Racing?

What difference can one little fan voice make? Plenty soldier. As long as you're willing to make it heard.

It's time to take up your pen and follow Sgt. pressdog into battle.

Let me see your WAR FACE, MISTER.

All ya gotta do is write a note. A letter. A few lines. Simple. It's effective. It's time for battle, friends. Learn how you can armor up and go to war for Vision Racing HERE.

Furious Wedge Blogathon

So you can't get enough sports car racing? You LUST for those funny little "prototypes?" Then race immediately to the Furious Wedge's site for the 2010 24-Hours-of-Daytona “Blogathon.”

Many guest bloggers, including me and the always entertaining (and frequently hammered) Roy Hobbson, Esq.

Rexall Pulling out of Rexall Edmonton Indy?

The all-over-it Edmonton Sun is reporting that Rexall has not yet re-upped as the title sponsor of the IndyCar race in Edmonton scheduled for July 25.

Lots of swirl and infighting that involves the Edmonton Oilers. Rexall just says "we're looking at it."

Read about it HERE.

Bernard Saddles up a Truly Bucking Bull of a Job

The Indy Racing League has a new boss who is the former CEO of the Professional Bull Riders, Inc.

Although it seems that Randy Bernard never actually rode a bull (since he said he knew nothing about bull riding when he started the PBR job), he may be in for a major ride at IndyCar.

Read Curty Cavin's report on it HERE. I also busted out my Google mastery, which consists of being able to type words into a box, and found aQ&A from 2008.

In it, I saw this:

Klint Briney Forms His Own (PR) Team

Long-time Sarah Fisher Racing PR Kingpin Klint Briney is going out on his own.

Klint popped off an email to friends and colleagues Friday announcing he's resigned from Sarah Fisher Racing and formed BRANDed, LLC.

"While working with Sarah Fisher for nearly a decade has been a privilege, she has inspired me to fulfill a bucket list dream of mine, and the current marketplace is well served for that at this time," Klint said. "I have started BRANDed, LLC., which will serve as a brand and business management organization while also providing public relations and consulting work."

Klint and Sarah have been a formidable team since 2001. It remains to be seen if Klint will remain as Sarah's brand manager/PR kingpin.

Danistar N-word Schedule Nearly Set

At least someone is making money at racing.

According to many sources, Danica Patrick's NationBusch schedule is about set. Fire up your DVRs.

• Las Vegas (Feb. 27)
• Loudon, N.H. (June 26)
• Chicago (July 9)
• Brooklyn, Mich. (Aug. 14)
• Dover, Del. (Sept. 25)
• Fontana (Oct. 9)
• Charlotte, N.C. (Oct. 15)
• Madison, Ill. (Oct. 23)
• Fort Worth, Texas (Nov. 6)
• Phoenix (Nov. 13)
• Homestead (Nov. 20)

Up to Speed Goes Off the Air

The IndyCar.com feature "Up to Speed" starring Lauren Bohlander is officially off the air.

The league has decided to shut down Up to Speed and go a different direction, according to Amy Konrath of IndyCar PR:

"After three years of producing Up to Speed on the website, we decided it was time to do something new for the fans," said Kontrath. "So this year, our focus for videos will be on driver-generated content each race weekend on indycar.com. Lauren will still be at the track with JHE, serving as host of our big screen programming."

JHE is the production company that handles the IndyCar pre-race ceremonies and big screen content at tracks. Bohlander will continue as the spokesmodel for those efforts.

"While I'm sad that Up to Speed has come to an end, I am excited to get back to the race track announcing live for the fans and I am enthusiastic about the opportunity for new ways to reach the IndyCar fans on the web," Lauren said. "I have to thank everyone that helped make Up to Speed such a great show for a number of years, but 2010 promises to be very exciting."

Vision ... Dimmed

The racing world knows by now that Vision Racing ceased operations yesterday.

For a flowing salute on the subject, go to MyNameIsIRL.com immediately. Or check the Indy Star news story from Curty Cavin here or Curt's Q&A from today here. Or Terry Blount's account on ESPN here.

I greatly hope we'll be spared yet another round of "Tony George, Saint or Satan?" treatises. To me that storyline has all the energy and interest of arguing over the Vietnam War (and I'm even a history buff).

Hellooooooo Maryeve Dufault

OK, what is going on here? It's a Festival of Hotties all of a sudden. First Carmen Jorda and now smokin' hot French Canadian Maryeve Dufault.

FAZZT Race Team announced Dufault as a "development driver." See news release below. Go ahead and Google for images of Maryeve and you'll see she has ZERO problem with being a swimsuit model. In fact, some of her photos are on benchwarmer.com, which was blocked by my parental control filter.

In the name of fan service, I lowered the shield and plunged in long enough to discover that basically a site filled with serious bikini babes. But can she drive? Does it matter? Both good questions. Check Maryeve's site HERE.

Serious question: How much of this is a result of Danica's ability to parlay her spread-eagle FHM shots and subsequent Sports Illustrated shoots into sponsors and therefore zillions of dollars? Are we in for a festival of hot female drivers that squeezes out the talented, regular girls? Does sex sell so well that it will always be that way? Discuss.

Check the unGoogled news release below ...

The King of the Bull Riders May be Coming to Town

Robin Miller is out with a story that Randy Bernard, currently the CEO of the Professional Bull Riders Association, will be the new CEO of Izod Indy Racing League.

Read it HERE.

Robin's story appears to be based on a story in the Sports Business Daily Journal yesterday alertly Re-Tweeted by @FuriousWedge. You can read the SBDJ blurb HERE.

If there's one sport that makes driving an IndyCar look like dancing around a may pole, danger-wise, it's bull riding.